


Trust/Truth

by CherryBlossomLesbian



Series: Prompt Fills [15]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Blood, Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Injury, Insecurity, Past Torture, Prompt Fill, Scars, branding marks, mention of freeze burns, past dehumanization, set within TFAWS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28520883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryBlossomLesbian/pseuds/CherryBlossomLesbian
Summary: "Where do you think you're going?" His roommate follows up with, the large first aid kit they keep under the kitchen sink in his hands."To patch up the stab wounds in my side?" Bucky responds, as if there's any doubt what Sam's implying.And no, he's not letting Wilson stitch him up. He'd need to remove his jacket and shirt in front of him for that, and he's certain Sam doesn't want to see all the scars on his back and chest that could probably be mistaken for a star map, and that's not even mentioning the other marking embedded in his skin there.OR: Bucky gets hurt on a mission. Sam insists on patching him up, but Bucky's positive he's not going to like what he sees when he does.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Sam Wilson
Series: Prompt Fills [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1978546
Comments: 4
Kudos: 63





	Trust/Truth

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: I've spend my morning Reading your Lovely whump-fics and decided to try my luck: Sam/Bucky or Sam&Bucky, After getting injured on a Mission Sam trys patching up Bucky who doesn't want to take of his uniform in front of Sam because he's Very insecure about the scars Hydra left him with... and Maybe there aren' t just the scars from the arm but some kind of ownership mark too? Thank you❤
> 
> Warnings: Blanket HYDRA warnings (Past torture and dehumanization), branding marks, blood, needles, stitches, body insecurity and scars.

"How much blood do you have?"

Bucky just glared at Sam in lieu of answering as they entered their apartment. Bucky was holding a previously white towel, now stained red, against the four stab wounds decorating the left side of his abdomen. Somehow he'd managed to not leave a trail on the carpeted hallway of the apartment complex, but he feels bad for how bad Sharon's car must look right now. 

She'd driven them back home from the base after Sam got a few small cuts patched up by the SHIELD medics and Bucky had vehemently denied any medical attention, insisting he'd take care of his wounds on his own.

He begins to limp towards his bedroom, planning on grabbing the first aid kit under his bed and stitching himself up, when Sam calls his name. 

"Where do you think you're going?" His roommate follows up with, the large first aid kit they keep under the kitchen sink in his hands. 

"To patch up the stab wounds in my side?" Bucky responds, as if there's any doubt what Sam's implying. 

And no, he's not letting Wilson stitch him up. He'd need to remove his jacket and shirt in front of him for that, and he's certain Sam doesn't want to see all the scars on his back and chest that could probably be mistaken for a star map, and that's not even mentioning the other marking embedded in his skin there.

"Like hell you are." Sam looks practically offended at the very suggestion that Bucky's going to be the one to tend to his injuries as he sits on the couch, first aid kit on his lap. 

"Get your gear off and sit down." He pats the couch as he opens up the kit, rummaging around it in. 

At this point, Bucky's mind is scrambling for any kind of excuse as to why Sam can't patch him up, but his mind comes up blank. 

So he says the truth, although he omits the details.

"If you saw what I look like under this, you wouldn't be so willing." He says.

Sam just looks up at him in both confusion and disbelief. "I've seen scars before, Barnes." 

_Nothing like what I have _is what he wants to say, but instead goes with, "It's not that."__

__Which is a lie. It's totally about Sam seeing his scars, the mangled skin at his shoulder that even the new arm can't cover up, the red welts that make his chest look more like a connect-the-dots game rather than a part of his body, and the patterned burn mark that goes deeper than anything else._ _

__Sam sighs. "Barnes, I don't care what it looks like and I'm pretty sure the knockoff serum you have can't just produce infinite blood and it's starting to drip on the floor so please, just get over here and let me help you." His tone isn't pleading, but it's getting close. Probably because Bucky is, in fact, making a puddle of blood by his feet on the hardwood floor and cleaning it up is not the most enjoyable thing to have to do._ _

__After a few moments of silence and Bucky catching up with just how fatigued and lightheaded he is, he hesitantly sits down next to Sam and begins to unbuckle his weapon harness around his chest._ _

__He shrugged out of the blue leather jacket, then forgoes trying to hold the towel to his side and throws it in the pile on the floor with his jacket and harness. Finally he pulls his black undershirt over his head and off, wincing as the fabric dragged against his injury._ _

__He turned his back to Sam immediately after his upper half was exposed, so he didn't have to see the look of disgust grace Sam's features when he sees how horrible Bucky actually looks._ _

__All the scars, all the welts, all the marks and blemishes._ _

__The burned in HYDRA symbol right in the center of his back._ _

__Behind him, Sam's breath hitches._ _

__What feels like hours of silence follows._ _

__"Barnes-" Sam starts, breaking the tension and eerie quiet._ _

__"Don't." He cuts off, voice practically an unintelligible squeak._ _

__Sam audibly swallows. "Okay." He replies, and Bucky hears the sound of a packet being torn open. "I'm gonna clean the wounds now, okay?"_ _

__Bucky nods, biting his lip to keep from making any noise as an alcohol wipe brushed against his skin, cleaning off the blood on his skin and disinfecting the wounds. It burns just a bit, but it's nothing he can't endure without making even a peep of sound._ _

__He winces, just a bit, when Sam is stitching the slashes closed with a needle and thread, but for the most part keeps quiet and still, allowing for the other man to work without distractions._ _

__Bucky closes his eyes and sinks into a peaceful headspace as Sam stitches, floating away from thoughts of what had happened to him, what Sam knows now, how it will change their friendship._ _

__He doesn't feel the needle piercing his skin, the feeling of his flesh being pulled into place by the thread. He doesn't think about how disgusted Sam will be after this, knowing that HYDRA had a permanent physical mark on him that can never be erased._ _

__His mind goes blank. He hears a gentle humming of a song._ _

__He calms. It's not unlike the mediation he's done, although this time he feels in even less control of his body. He's not sure if it's the blood loss or a trauma response._ _

__Either way, it kinda feels nice._ _

__He's only pulled out of the headspace by Sam once again calling his name._ _

__"Barnes?"_ _

__"Mhm?"_ _

__"I'm done." He says. "All stitched up. And if you want, I might have something to help with the…" Sam trails off, clearly unsure of how to proceed._ _

__"Giant HYDRA symbol on my back?" Bucky fills in the blank for him, hearing Sam swallow behind him as he speaks._ _

__"Yeah, uh, do you know how...it was done?" He manages to finish his sentence this time, although his voice is still shaky._ _

__Bucky nods. "Freeze burn. They figured I was accustomed enough to the cold, it shouldn't hurt all that much." He says, looking over his shoulder to meet Sam's eyes as he speaks._ _

__He looks like he wants to ask if it did, but refrains, instead getting up and heading into his own bedroom, coming back a few minutes later with a white tub of what looks to be cream or ointment.__

____"Here. This should help, even if only a little bit." Sam shows him the label on the container, which reads: _"Scar Cream: For Old or New Scars" _.___ _ _ _

______He has his doubts it'll actually do anything, but he nods and Sam moves behind him again, warming the cream in his hands before gently applying it to the skin._ _ _ _ _ _

______Even after so long, the mark is tender. It's a dull ache that pulses as the spot is touched and the cream is spread onto his flesh._ _ _ _ _ _

______One thing he appreciates, however, is how warm the cream is. He's had enough cold to last a lifetime._ _ _ _ _ _

______Once Sam's done, he puts a large, square bandage around the mark, explaining that it helps the cream set in._ _ _ _ _ _

______As Sam's shutting the first aid kit and putting it back in the cabinet, Bucky picks up his pile of bloodied gear and heads to his bedroom to throw them in the adjoining bathroom sink until he can clean them properly. While he's in there, he throws on a black sweatshirt with the SHIELD logo printed on it._ _ _ _ _ _

______When he comes back into the living area, Sam's standing in front of the TV, remote in hand, switching between channels._ _ _ _ _ _

______"You wanna order some pizza?" Sam asks when he sees Bucky, to which he just raised an eyebrow in question._ _ _ _ _ _

______"It's 10pm, Wilson. Where are we gonna get a pizza?" He asks, heading to the kitchen to grab a soda from the fridge._ _ _ _ _ _

______"You ain't used to living in the twenty-first century? I can name three places that deliver now." Sam shakes his head and picks up his cellphone after settling on a channel playing game shows._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Hey, yea, can I get a large pepperoni pizza with a side of breadsticks-" Sam begins his order, and Bucky shouts "Order cheesy bread!" across the room as he takes another swig of the soda._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Yeah, uh, my roommate wants cheesy bread, do you have that? Oh, you do? Can you say you don't so I don't gotta pay for it?" Sam says into the phone with a smirk, and Bucky kicks his shin playfully, mouthing _'asshole' _as he does.___ _ _ _ _ _

_________'You love it' _Sam mouths back, and yeah, Bucky can't argue with that.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"Fine, order of cheesy bread, and do you guys have any dessert things? You got a cookie pie? Barnes, you want a cookie pie?" Sam asks, and Bucky nods around yet another sip of soda. "Yeah we'll take a cookie pie." Sam states back into the phone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Sam gives their address for the delivery before hanging up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"We better tip that guy." Bucky comments as he sits down on the couch next to Sam. Miraculously, they had gotten nothing on it during their first aid endeavor._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"Oh, we're giving him the pizza guy tip of the century." Sam replies as the game show cuts to commercial_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________They sit together quietly for a few moments as the commercials cycle through, before Bucky has a terrifying thought._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"What if our pizza guy is Peter?" He asks, and Sam's expression momentarily goes scared._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"Wait, but how would Peter get to D.C.?" Sam says, therefore poking a loophole in Bucky's theory._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"Good point."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________And suddenly, just like that, Bucky's fear that his scars and mark would change anything between him and Sam disintegrate._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________This is their usual dialogue. The bickering, the banter, the playful insults and hits. It's familiar and comforting, knowing their lives can just... continue as they did. Late nights after missions play out with food delivery and TV and the both of them together, hanging out, like they've been friends forever._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________It's perfect._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________After getting the pizza (from a guy who was definitely not Peter) and devouring as much of it as possible, Bucky falls asleep with his head on Sam's shoulder, and Sam falls asleep not long after, snoring throughout the night._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who figured out ao3 italicizing! It's me! Prepare to see them in every single fic I write now. 
> 
> If you'd like to submit a prompt for me to write, check out the notes of my prompt fills series this fic is in! 
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/cartersleia)
> 
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